I would like to applaud Pope Francis and the Catholic Church for elevating Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII to the revered and holy state of sainthood.
Pope John XXIII sought to bring reforms into the church in order to bring men and women closer to their creator’s wishes and that was to live in peace. While John Paul II sought to bring himself closer to the people in order to fulfill his mission to restore peace in a world so severely divided by hate.
Pope John Paul II was one of the most approachable Popes ever. He reached out and touched the working man. He knew about hard work because he did it himself.
As a Catholic and as a member of the Knights of Columbus, I admire the fact that he reached out to all people and tried to make peace. He reached out to both Jews and Muslims with constructive dialogue. He spoke against anti-Semitism.
These two popes were men of the people and possessed a great deal of love for all mankind and were guiding lights. We were truly blessed to have had these two saints among us who were sentinels in the battle between good and evil.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks Village
